Okay, I get everything else about stick buying, but when it comes to curves I get a little confused. Reading the stick buyers guide and some sites doesn't really help me so let me ask a few questions:

1. Curve type, what does it actually mean? Like what is the difference between Mid, Heel, Mid-Toe, etc.? Is that where it is the most curved or what?

2. What is curve depth? I can't really tell the difference looking at blade charts on hockey monkey, but is curve depth basically how far in it is curved or how much curve there is?

3. Is curve size basically as it reads?

And how does each effect a shot if it does?
Sorry if my questions are noobish, but thanks in advance

This is one of those things that is better explained in person when you can show them the blade.

1. Mid, Heel, Toe-heel describes where the curve starts.

2. Curve depth is sort of the amount of curve. It is measured by drawing a straight line from the curve point to the toe of the stick then if you drew a line from the blade face to the imaginary straight line you have the curve depth.

Your going to need to experiment with different curves to figure out what works for you in that you can say generally something is going to happen in regard to curves but everyone is different so who knows.

First open faces tend to raise the shot, think pitching wedge in golf. Second flat blades or ones that lack curves tend to give you better back hand play while reducing your ability to receive passes and take shots on the forehand. This is because the curve actually creates puck spin, which among other things allows for greater control and maybe more speed on your shot, obviously the more the blade is curved the more spin your going to get.

Don't kill me if I'm wrong in a lifetime of playing hockey I just experimented until I found what worked for my game, I imagine someone like TBLfan would be able to give you a much better explanation.

Okay, I get everything else about stick buying, but when it comes to curves I get a little confused. Reading the stick buyers guide and some sites doesn't really help me so let me ask a few questions:

1. Curve type, what does it actually mean? Like what is the difference between Mid, Heel, Mid-Toe, etc.? Is that where it is the most curved or what?

It's where the curve starts. A toe curve with have most of the curve near the end of the blade- think a fishing hook, but not as bent, obviously. A mid curve will be bent in the middle, like a section of a circle. A heel curve will have a bend near where the blade meets the shaft, and be close to straight the rest of the way. If you don't know, start with a mid curve, they're the most versatile. Different curves are better suited to different types of shooting, stickhandling and such, and there are entire threads devoted to that, so I won't go into that now.

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2. What is curve depth? I can't really tell the difference looking at blade charts on hockey monkey, but is curve depth basically how far in it is curved or how much curve there is?

How curved it is is exactly right. The way it's measured is difficult to explain, but the larger the number, the more curve a blade has. Just starting you should use something with less curve so you learn better technique.

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3. Is curve size basically self-explanatory?

If you mean, long, short medium, yeah. It's the length of the blade. Longer blades get you more surface area to pick up passes, pucks along the boards, blocking shots, ect. A shorter blade will be lighter, giving you slightly faster hands, and is supposed to give you more control. I really never notice length, don't worry about it.

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And how does each effect a shot if it does?
Sorry if my questions are noobish, but thanks in advance

That's the biggest question. Quick guide, the more of a heel curve it is, the bigger your sweet sport for slapshots is. The more of a toe, you'll get better spin and velocity on wristers.

Also, you need to consider how open a curve is. The more open a curve is, the more it raises your shot like a pitching wedge. However, the more open a curve is the harder raising a backhand will be.

And one thing that you didn't mention is toe shape. A round toe will make it easier to do a toe drag as you get a lot more blade around a puck, but a square toe will allow you to be able to pick pucks up along the boards marginally better. You shouldn't have to worry about that at all, but you'll know what it's about.

Don't buy a stick unless you settle on the curve. Get a shaft and buy or borrow from friends various curve blades. Shoot changing the curves up until you getting consistent well control shuts (may take a few months). There're dozens of various curves, so limit you search by finding your lie. That is something that is property of your posture and consistent with yourself. The correct lie blade will wear the tape evenly from hill to toe. So if your lie is 5.5 then don't even try anything with 6 or 5 lie. Good luck.

Don't buy a stick unless you settle on the curve. Get a shaft and buy or borrow from friends various curve blades. Shoot changing the curves up until you getting consistent well control shuts (may take a few months). There're dozens of various curves, so limit you search by finding your lie. That is something that is property of your posture and consistent with yourself. The correct lie blade will wear the tape evenly from hill to toe. So if your lie is 5.5 then don't even try anything with 6 or 5 lie. Good luck.

this is the best answer. choose lie first, then go through blades to find what fits using the same shaft throughout the process. it CAN be costly, but you should be able to identify pretty quickly which kind of curve works best for you.

this is the best answer. choose lie first, then go through blades to find what fits using the same shaft throughout the process. it CAN be costly, but you should be able to identify pretty quickly which kind of curve works best for you.